Apparatus for manufacturing gas



No. 65,523 Patented Dec. 6, I898.

- .1. m. BOIS.

APPARATUS FUR MANUFACTURING GAS. (Application filed Apr. 22, 1897.)

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Patented Dec. 6, I898. J. M. BOIS. APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

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PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. BOIS, OF EAST AURORA, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,523, dated December6, 1898.

Application filed April 22,1897. Serial No. 633,385. (No model.)

following to be a full, clear, and exact de-- scription of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for manufacturinggas, and is designed particularly for manufacturing gas on a small scalefor domestic purposes; and it consists in the parts and combinations ofparts, as will be more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View in section of myapparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in section of' the air-pump, andFig. 3 is a similar view of a double-acting pump.

A represents a pipe surmounted at its free end by a hollow perforatedball B, which latter is designed to withstand the heat to which it issubjected and is located centrally within the combustion-chamber of amagazine-stove 0. Instead, however, of providing the pipe A with aperforated ball located within the combustion-chamber of a stove orfurnace, so as to receive the coal-gas generated from the burning coal,the pipe A may be open to the outer air; but in either event the pipeleads to the base of the pump D. This pump D comprises a cylinder openat its top and provided at its base with the inlet-pipe A and thewater-outlet pipe E and at a point above the base with the air or gasoutlet pipe F.

Located within the cylinder is the piston G, which latter is providedwith an upwardlyopening valve a, provided with a depending stem 1),which latter is designed to engage the I base of the cylinder when thevalve is in its depressed position and permit the water resting on thepiston and valve and which has operated to depress the piston to escapethrough the piston and pass out of the cylinder through pipe E. Thispiston G is counterbalanced or slightly overbalanced by the weight H,which latter is secured to the chain 1, passing over pulley I, andsecured at its other end to the top of the piston. lVith this it will beseen that the tendency of the weight always is to hold the pistonelevated.

Located over and discharging into the piston is the water-supply pipe J.This pipe is provided with a cut-0E valve or cock 0, carrying theweighted lever c. This lever c tends to close the valve and shut off thesupplyof Water; but as the piston rises the stud e thereon engages theweighted lever and turns same, which movement opens the valve andpermits a full head of water to flow in on the top of the piston G. Theweight of the water resting on this piston overbalances the weight H,thus causing the piston G to descend and forcing the air or coal-gaswithin the cylinder below the piston through pipe F into the gasometeror storage-tank,'the said pipe F discharging above the water in saidtank and provided with a valve f, which prevents a return of the air orgas into pipe F. As the piston G approaches the base of cylinder D thestem 12 engages said base or a stop located to engage said stem, thusopening valve a and permitting the water which operated as a weight toforce piston G down to escape into the cylinder, and from thence throughpipe E into the storage-tank L, the

latter being provided with an overflow-pipe L, through which the excessof water escapes. As soon as the piston G begins its descent theweighted lever c closes the valve 0, thus shutting off the water, and assoon as the water which operated as a weight to force the pistondownwardly escapes through the piston G the weight H then operates toelevate the piston and open valve o. By this arrangement I have providedan automatically-operating single-acting pump which operates to withdrawthe coal-gas generated in a stove or furnace or draw in air and forcesaid air or gas into the holder L. This holder L is of i of the innercylinder g is the pipe 9 which latter limits the downward movement ofcylinder G and also receives the guide-rod 9 which latter is secured atits ends and operiaseii for all purposes.

ates to maintain the inner cylinder g in its proper position relative tothe outer cylinder 9. r V I The gas or air, as the case may be, isforced into the holder L and operates to elevate the inner cylinder g.This cylinderg carries the iod h, provided on its outer end with anelongated loop h, which latter straddles the cutoff lever 712 in thewater-supply pipe J. Thus when the cylinder g is in its depressedposition the upper end of the loop engages the lever h and opens widethe valve, thus permitting the free passage of water up to valve 0."When, however, the pump is supplying more air or gas than is demandedand is being used,the cylinder g gradually rises, and as it reaches itsupper limit of movement the lower end of the loop it engages the lever72?, turns same, and cuts off the supply of water, thus temporarilystopping the pump. The weight of the cylinder 9 forces the air or gastherein out through pipe Minto the carbureter. The pipe M is providedwith two branches M and M the former of which leads into the carbureternear the top thereof, while the latter discharges into the carbureternear the bottom. The pipes M and M each have a valve m. Hence it will beseen that by closing one the air or gas may all be passed through theother. Hence if the air is rich in carbon, as it would be if drawn froma stove, pipe M would be closed, and the air passed through the upperpipe M and coming into intimate contact with the vapors of the oil inthe carbureter would be sufficiently enriched If, however, the pump issimply supplying air, the air should be discharged through pipe M intothe 'carbureter at the base thereof. This carbnreter N comprises simplya series of chambers N, all of which except the lower one are providedwith a vessel N to hold oil. Between the bottoms of these vessels N andthe several horizontal partitions N is packed cottonwaste, wicking, orother absorbent, and from each partition N depend wads of wicking,terminating in the oil in the vessel or chamber below. Each chamber isprovided with a pipe N discharging into the chamber or compartmentbelow. Hence it will be seen that by introducing oil through thefillingpipe 0 it discharges first onto the top of the upper compartmentand flows from thence through the openin gs through which the wicks passinto the vessel below. After this vessel becomes full the overflowpasses through pipe N into the vessel next below, and so on until allthe vessels and a portion of the lower compartment have been filled. Theair passing in contact with the depending wicks and through thepartition and waste ascends to the next partition, and so on. By

the time it reaches the top it has become thoroughly saturated and isready for use.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3 I have dispensed with the diskpiston shown in Fig. 2 and employ in its stead a cylindrical pistonclosed at its top and open at its bottom mov-- ing within a cylinderclosed at its bottom and open at its top, and I have connected the pumpsin pairs, so that the descending piston operates to elevate the other.Each pump comprises an outer cylinder Q, open at the top, and an innercylinder or piston Q, open at the bottom, the closed top of each pistoncarrying a receptacle for holding water and provided with a valve a andstem I), as in the construction previously described. The pistons areconnected by a chain 1 and each receptacle Q is provided with a stud dfor actuating the weighted levers 0', connected to the valves 0 in thewaterpipe J. WVith this construction it will be seen that as onereceptacle is filled with water it descends and elevates the otherpiston. As the descending piston nears the limit of its down movementthe stem 1) of the Valve a strikes the bracket or stop 0", thuselevating the valve and permitting the water to escape into the vesselQ. While the lower receptacle Q is discharging its water,-the upperreceptacle is receiving water, and as soon as it overbalancesthe lowerreceptacles it begins it descent, thus elevating the other vessel. Thewater discharged from the receptacles Q passes from the tanks Q throughthe overfiowpipe Q With this construction it will be seen that air orcoal-gas is drawn into the tanks Q by the suction caused by the pistonsascending and is forced out by the descent of the pistons, thus keepingup a continuous supply of air or coal-gas to the tank L.

It is evident that numerous slight changes might be made in the generalform and arrangement of the several parts herein shown and describedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence Ido not wish to limit myself to the precise details of construction shownand described; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, isi 1. In an apparatus for manufacturing gas,

the combination with a storage-tank, of a pump comprising a stationarycylinder, a piston therein, a counterbalancing device, a flexibleconnection between the piston and counterbalan cin g device, awater-supply pipe for discharging water onto the plston, a valve in thewater-pipe and means carried directly by the piston for opening thewater-supply valve.

2. In an apparatus for manufacturing gas, the combination with astorage-tank, of a pump comprising a cylinder, an air or gas pipeleading thereto, a pipe leading there= from, a counterbalanced piston insaid cylin= der, a valve in said piston, a water-supply pipe having avalve, and means carried by the piston for opening said water-supplyvalve, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus for manufacturing gas,

the combination with a water-supply pipe having a valve therein, astorage-tank comprising two cylinders, one inverted Within the other andwater-sealed therein, and a valveactuating device carried by saidinverted tank, of a pump comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, thelatter located under the discharge end of the water-pipe, a second valvein said water-pipe, means carried by said piston for opening said secondvalve, and a valve in the piston for the escape of the water dischargedonto said piston, substantially as set forth.

4. In an apparatus for manufacturing gas, the combination with acarbureter, a storagetank, and pipes connecting the carbureter andstorage-tank, of a pump comprising a cylinder, a counterbalanced piston,awater-pipe discharging onto said piston, means carried by the pistonfor regulating the discharge of Water, a valve in the piston, and a pipeconnecting the pump and storage-tank.

5; A pump comprising a cylinder, a counterbalanced piston therein, awater-pipe discharging onto the piston, a valve in said pipe, meanscarried by the piston for opening said valve, and a valve in the pistonfor the escape of the water above the piston.

6. A double-acting pump comprising two cylinders, pistons so connectedthat one counterbalances the other, a Water-pipe discharging over bothpistons, valves in said pipe, means carried by each piston for openingits respective valve, and a valve in each piston for the escape of thewater above its piston, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

- JAMES M. BOIS.

Witnesses:

O. S. DRURY,

GEORGE F. DoWNING.

